The course will trace the historical background of Zionism and Jewish
Migration to Palestine in the pre-State period, and the regional political
conditions which enabled the Jewish community there to emerge as a new
nation-state.  This will serve as a background to the emerging social
structure and cultural trends that have characterized Israel during its
first five decades.  Some specific themes to be discussed are: a) the
origins of forms of Jewish Settlement (kibbutz, moshav, development town)
and how they later were affected by Israel's incorporation in the world
economy; b)   the impact of immigration and emergence of diverse
identities according to ethnic background, religious commitment, and
national identity - including Israeli Jews and Arabs; c) changing
paradigms within Israeli social science with an emphasis on the
contribution of anthropology as a monitor of the diversity of trends
within a multicultural society; d) forces of globalization affecting
Israel in relation to internal debates concerning the society's cultural
character